First Shadow Part One
by thewolffan
Summary: A Tracker Rat wants revenge against Matthias and he's not the only one.... This is my first fic so please read & review!


This is my first short story that I have finished. It's part of my Redwall series called The Darkner Saga. It takes place during Mattimeo. I hope you like it!  
  
First Shadow takes place three hours after the destruction of the Cavern, after Slagar falls down the well. The story begins in the underground where strange and deadly creatures live, the land of the Darkner…   
  
First Shadow  
  
The Kingdom of Malkariss was gone. The cavern had collapsed. All the black-robed rats were probably slain. Unbelievably, it seems mere woodlanders dispatched the mighty kingdom. Shrews, Slaves, and the assorted squirrel, badger, mice, and so on.  
  
This was the report made by Diring the Darkner squirrel. The sounds of battle had reached a Darkner patrol; when they had returned to the underground caverns and gave their report to the Shrew overseer of Cskier-T (outpost 57), Diring had been sent to evaluate the situation.  
  
The assassin wasn't pleased with the assignment. The rest of his Ginng (Squad) was leaving to join the Tirkakoq Ginng in the Blitzkrieg war against the Yuosatvivx tribe of PerfectPool. The assignment required that he move in the sunlight. Darkner's eyes, with their exception night-vision, are very sensitive to sunlight and required a special mask called Covers. But the overseer had commanded it, and he complied.  
  
The report was sketchy, it simply said that the cavern had fallen and there were a number of woodlanders that were seen leaving that had probably committed the deed.  
  
The overseer was not pleased. Malkariss had, in his caverns, a lode of pure adamantine, the strongest metal there is. The Darkner Ambassadors had established a trade with him, but with Malkariss dead and the lode buried under rock, it would be some time (years!) before they would unbury it and start harvesting again.  
  
The Darkner Shrew noticed that Diring was taking a lot of pleasure from his distress and tried to cover it up by saying, "So all the rats are dead?"  
  
The assassin grinned evilly, an action that disturbed the overseer (he had heard from one of Diring's comrades-in-arms that Diring was a homicidal maniac. The soldier was later found dead, with a half-dozen stab wounds in his chest, hanging from the ceiling by his entrails). "Of course not." He said as he scratched rudely at his dark gray fur. "Have you forgotten about the tracker?"  
  
The overseer through for a minute, then smiled.  
  
  
Redfist the tracker was skilled in his trade; the attackers never saw him.  
  
He wasn't a born minion of Malkariss; he was just a scavenger who discovered the kingdom by accident. Rather then just killing the wanderer, the polecat had allowed him to live as a one-beast Long Patrol. In return, Redfist got food, shelter, and a small amount of adamantine. Redfist had no idea what the last was, but he found an enormous profit in selling it to nearby kingdoms. Soon, he had a small treasure horde.  
  
But the attackers had changed all that. In collapsing the chamber, they had buried his considerable wealth and destroyed his (rather filthy) house and home.  
  
During the attack, he had been on patrol. The chamber had already been destroyed when he returned. Hiding nearby (practically right next to Orlando the Axe the entire time!), he saw some mouse and badger chase after the kingdom's slaver, who stupidly fell down the hidden exit and probably broke his neck. He had watched them leave. Then he raged about his gone treasure.  
  
Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. He ran up to the well and looked down. Sure enough, it didn't look blocked. Using his rope and hook (He always carried both), he lowered himself down.  
  
The cavern was clear of rubble, special thanks to cleaver construction. He instantly headed for a nearby side cavern, dimly noting that Slagar's corpse was missing and not caring in the least bit. The cavern had one distinguishing feature; a pile of rubble covering a wall. He grabbed his All-Metal spear and bashed away. The cleverly placed rocks fell away, revealing a huge cavern leading to the Underground.  
  
He knew about the inhabitants of these caverns, he often traded with them. He knew he'd have to be polite and cautious, dealing with Darkners can often be tricky.  
  
  
In Cskier-T, things weren't doing so well. A report saying that Malkariss's kingdom, along with the adamantine trade, was thoroughly squashed by woodlanders, and it would take many seasons to dig the lode out (it took 15 seasons to be exact), had been sent. And the Overseer was in a bad mood.  
  
There was a knock on the door, and a young surfacer dormouse walked in. "There is someone-" he said.  
  
"Have you forgotten proper entrancing?" Diring demanded, then immediately kicked the slave in the back with enough power to send him sprawling to the floor. "Bow to the overseer now!" He kicked him again, sending him crashing into the overseer's desk. "And say Sir this time!"  
  
The Darkner Shrew was startled. Diring had been standing there meditating for the last three hours. Even for a Darkner Assassin he's pretty amazing.  
  
The Slave bowed before speaking. "Sir, There is someone who needs to speak to you. A patrol just brought him in. Shall I go get him?"  
  
Both the overseer and the assassin smiled, knowing. "Of course Bran. Send him in right away."  
  
Bran bowed again, but at that moment lost his temper. "Of course Sir, shall I kiss coalface's feet as I pass?"  
  
The Dormouse was new to the slave system and didn't know much about the Darknors. The sarcastic remark cost him his life. In flash, the shrew grabbed his nearby mace and drove it, like a dagger, into the slave's head with enough force to drive it though the unlucky dormouse's skull and into his brain.  
  
The shrew let go of his mace with a sign, letting the body drop to the ground, the metal weapon still lodged in its head. "Damn it," he said. "That's another one." He turned to Diring, shivering at his chuckling. "Could you open the door Diring?" he said to the disturbed squirrel.  
  
In truth, killing the slave had made him feel much better. It reminded him that he's a superior Darkner and not this weak thing lying in a pool of blood on the floor.  
  
  
The patrol had simply dumped Redfist in the waiting room when they arrived, then went off too their trail. When a slave had asked what he needed, he had simply said he needed to see the Overseer and he needed some tea. The slave had gone though a door. A few seconds later, a loud crunch rang out. Guess I probably won't be getting that tea, he though. Sure enough, a squirrel opened the door, wearing the tight outfit and cloak of a Darkner Assassin. Redfist walked in, ignoring the dead slave lying near the overseer's desk, looking instead at the overseer. He bowed.  
  
"Please, sit down." Said the overseer, who a second later unceremonially ripped some metal object from the corpse's skull.  
  
Redfist didn't like the grin that spread on the squirrel's face.  
  
So he told the shrew what he knew about the destruction of the kingdom. He was just telling him about Slagar's stupidity when the assassin told Redfist to can it and tell us what he wants.  
  
"Revenge." He growled. "I had a whole treasure trove in there when it collapsed."  
  
"Ouch." The assassin said.  
  
"Give me a solder. I can't kill them myself."  
  
The overseer yawned, although he found this very interesting. His superiors were probably pissed about the adamantine disaster. An assassination on the ones responsible might cheer them up. Suddenly he got a great idea. This single idea would come to affect the entire world.  
  
"You can take Diring. His Ginng is away; he'll need something to do while they're away. Go to the barracks and rest. You're gonna need it"  
  
Redfist didn't know what a Ginng was, but he was no less cheered up. He marched triumphaly out.  
  
  
Once the rat left the room, the shrew turned to the distraught Diring.  
  
"Oh come on, the surface can't be that bad. Listen up, this is what you must do…"  
  
  
Back on the surface, it is night, and Matthias and his group have camped out, deciding to get some rest before trying to find a way across the chasm.  
  
Matthias leaned against a rock staring at his son's face, watching him sleep. A sound behind him startled him, and he spun around to see… nothing.  
  
He relaxed and turned around thinking probably nothing. Then he looked up and cried out.  
  
Standing over the sleeping children was a rat. He held a longsword and waved it around with an evil grin on his face. But next to him was a shadow, blacker then the darkness around him, holding a gleaming sword crafted into an odd wavy design. It laughed and laughed crazily, swinging his blade like the rat does, but with more finesse. The air reeked of death.  
  
Instantly Matthias jumped up, screaming "Orlando! Wake up!"  
  
Orlando the Axe, lying next to him, didn't move. "Orlando!" Matthias yelled again, looking down at his friend, then realizing that the Badger wouldn't wake up, because he is dead, a spear stuck though his heart, a horrified look on his face.  
  
"You fiends!" Matthias screamed at them, looking back at them to see the shadow, still laughing, holding Orlando's axe in front of him and a second later, it sliced it in half with the wavy blade.  
  
He looked around screaming "Basil! Jess! Log-a-Log! Somebody!" But they were all dead. Basil Stag Hare's head was cut off. Jess was covered with arrows. Log-a-Log however sprang up and upon seeing the attackers, charged the two. Instantly, the rat punched the shrew in the face and before Log-a-Log could recover, the rat tore the sword from the shrew leader's hand and thrust the sword into his heart.  
  
"NO!" Matthias screamed. He wanted to help Log-a-Log but couldn't move, the horror of it all froze him.  
  
The rat stooped down and Matthias could see all the little ones were dead. Except…  
  
The rat grabbed Mattimeo by the neck and lifted him and Matthias could see his son's eyes staring pleadingly at him.  
  
"NO!" Matthias screamed again and then he could move. And he sprang at the rat, Martin's sword leading the way. He could have made it; he could have killed the rat before he would have killed Mattimeo.  
  
But the shadow tackled him to the ground, laughing the whole time. "NO!" Matthias screamed a third time and then watched helplessly as the rat lowered his sword and slit Mattimeo's throat.  
  
Rage, pure anger, overwhelmed him, and he threw the shadow from him as the rat tossed away the corpse, it's eyes staring at the sky.  
  
Matthias lunged, but the rat was gone, suddenly everything was gone, he was standing in a grassy field; the shadow danced around him mockingly, still laughing. Matthias tried to slash it, but it always dodged the blade.  
  
Matthias turned toward the shadow to try again, but the shadow was gone and a figure was standing nearby. Matthias instantly recognized him, it was Martin the Warrior, dressed in armor and holding his sword, the same sword Matthias held in his shaking paws.  
  
"There're coming Matthias! The Assassins are coming!" he cried.  
  
At that moment, the shadow appeared next to Martin, but the shadow had changed, it was now a dark gray squirrel, dressed in black and holding the wavy blade. Martin turned and at that moment the shadow yelled, "I am Darkner!" and stabs Martin though the stomach, though the armor.  
  
Horror, rage, helplessness, and a dozen other emotions surged though Matthias. Not Martin. It's impossible.  
  
As Martin sags to the ground, Matthias leaped for the kill, but the so-called Darkner stepped aside and yanked the sword out of his grasp then, still laughing crazily, broke it in half with one paw.  
  
In that instant Matthias couldn't move. Then the shadow sliced it's sword into Matthias's heart, screaming-  
"Wake up!"  
  
Matthias screamed…. And woke.  
  
  
Matthias stood, drenched with sweat, still horrified.  
  
"Matthias! Listen to me!"  
  
"Who is that!" he yelled, turning around.  
  
"The assassins are coming Matthias. You must be prepared. Don't trust anyone but me." The voice was coming out of nowhere.  
  
"Come on out of the shadows!"  
  
"Father?" a voice behide him.  
  
He turned and saw Mattimeo sitting up, stretching.  
  
Matthias was dumbstruck for a moment, then say "It's okay Matt, go back to sleep. I just had a nightmare."  
  
Mattimeo yawned and lied back down. "Just a dream." He muttered.  
  
Matthias waited until Matt was asleep, then spoke, "Are you there voice?"  
  
No answer. He tried again. Still no answer. Whoever it was is gone.  
  
Matthias looked around. Sure enough, everyone was alive and asleep. Stag, Jess, Log-a-Log, Orlando, everyone. No sign of the rat or "Darkner."  
  
"Just a dream…" he repeated.  
  
He didn't get any more sleep that night.  
  
  
Continued in First Shadow Part two! Coming soon!  



End file.
